Toronto Maple Leafs: Campbell Starts in Playoffs + Opening Round Matchup

The Toronto Maple Leafs proved last night that they can’t win every game.

Going for their sixth in a row, the Toronto Maple Leafs were unable to score on the power-play and it cost them yet again. As unlikely as it was, Matthews and Marner blew an ugly 2 on 0 and the Canadiens ended up winning after making an absolute mockery of 3 on 3 overtime, which I think clearly needs a sportsmanship/delay-of-game rule to prevent teams from ragging the puck.

What Montreal did in overtime was essentially just waste time until Matthews had to get off the ice. It’s boring to watch and is a disgustingly dishonorable tactic, but it’s currently within the rules and it worked.

Well, it sort of worked – they ultimately did allow a double breakaway by Matthews and Marner that is going to cost them the game most of the time.  We learned last night that the NHL not only needs someone else in charge of discipline (Tom Wilson wasn’t banned for life) but that they need new overtime rules.

Eventful night.  Now, as to the playoff implications:

Toronto Maple Leafs First Round Possibilities

The Montreal Canadiens are all but mathematically guaranteed to make the Playoffs and the only question left for the last few games is if they will end up playing the Leafs in the opening round.

The Habs sit tied with the Jets right now after each team has played 51 games and has five to play.  If the two teams tie, the Habs will finish fourth due to less wins.  Three points lost by the Jets or Canadiens, or  gained by the Oilers, will prevent both teams from being unable to get to second.

That number for the Oilers to catch the Leafs is four.  Basically, the only way for the standings at the top of the division to change now would require one team to lose every game from here on out, which is unlikely.

So the Leafs and Oilers are almost certainty going to be seeds one and two, and the question is who they play.  The Leafs control their destiny somewhat because they play the Habs twice more and the Jets on Sunday.  Personally,  I hope they play the Jets because the Jets are a much worse team than the Canadiens.

The Leafs tend to destroy Winnipeg (if not on the scoreboard, then at least statistically) and even if they have the reigning Vezina Winner, I would still rather not face Carey Price in the opening round if it can be helped.

Either way, I wouldn’t be too concerned about who I play if I was the Leafs – they are a team that has overcome two weeks of Matthews being unable to shoot the puck, and getting essentially less than nothing from their supposed star goalie (if Campbell doesn’t start in the playoffs fire everyone) to fight for first place in the NHL.

The team is off tonight and plays Montreal Thursday.